Funeral Procession for Murdered Rapper Drives Through Mt. Greenwood
Rapper Lil JoJo was buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery Friday afternoon and police presence was heavy as the procession made its way through the neighborhood.
In a site that has become increasingly common in recent years, police vehicles lined the streets as a funeral procession made its way to Mt. Hope Cemetery.
Michael Coleman, known by his rap name Lil JoJo, was gunned down in Englewood on Sept. 4. The murder drew national media attention as the rap world reacted to his death.
The Sun-Times has been providing excellent coverage of the murder and subsequent developments. The included Sun-Times video gives a glimpse into the scene outside of the funeral home earlier today.
As the procession made its way out of Mt. Hope officers conducted searches of several vehicles. A police spokesman said no arrests have made and there have been no confirmed reports of gunshots fired.
More people are buried each day at Mt. Hope Cemetery than any other cemetery in Illinois with an average of 10 to 12 occurring each day, State Sen. Ed Maloney detailed at a community meeting last month where residents voiced their concerns and experiences with disruptive and unruly processions making their way toward the cemetery.
Alderman Matt O'Shea described the cemetery as the cemetery choice of area gang members.
"It's ridiculous that we have has to put so much attention on a funeral procession," O'Shea said at the same meeting last month.
O'Shea had a meeting last week with the cemetery's owners and local elected officials and law enforcement agencies. He described that meeting as the most productive one to date and believes changes will happen that will reduce the impact of funerals on area residents.
Residents are organizing a demonstration against gang activity at Mt Hope Cemetery on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 11:30 a.m. They will meet at Kennedy Park and march down Western Avenue to 115th Street, then west to Fairfield Avenue.
sp
3:09 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Rerouting to another entrance is not a solution.
Ellen Burke
4:16 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
AGREE
Braze
10:19 am on Saturday, September 15, 2012
Was that outside service at 79th and Kedzie Funeral Home?
What used to be Colletta?
jd
2:26 pm on Saturday, September 15, 2012
yes Braze it was
CJM
10:18 am on Saturday, September 15, 2012
We buried my father at Mt. Hope in 1975. Back then the cemetery was a place where one could visit graves and reflect in peace, as a cemetery should be. It was attractive and well-maintained.
Sometime in the late 90s/early 00s, I noticed a change there. Unkempt grounds and a real shabby appearance. On one visit I got stuck in the middle of an event where scores of people were loudly milling around, vendors selling balloons like it was a carnival, cars blocking all roads, and tension in the air as thick as a London fog. The news that night reported that there was some gang fight there.
This past June we buried my mother next to my dad. I didn't want to use Mt. Hope, but we already had the plots. The place is still unkempt and shabby looking, and one never knows when ghetto drama may break out.
I don't know how Mt. Hope became the gang-bangers final rumble ground of choice, but it makes me sick. I'm now looking into how much it will cost to move my parents.
I'm out of state now, but hope the local residents can put enough pressure on this place to get it cleaned up. The Troost family (owners) should be ashamed of themselves.
Pat F
5:17 pm on Saturday, September 15, 2012
You should visit St. Marys on 87th on a holiday.. We've actually seen coolers, lawn chairs and one group even brought a grill..They let the kids run around like a park..Future just doesn't look very promising for our grandkids. Until these young people popping out children one after another learn to take responsibility for these children everything will continue to deteriorate..
JohnD
4:18 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
I have family at Mt. Hope as well.. also grew up in the neighborhood and live 3 hours south of the city these days where it is quite. Having said that I still have family and friends up there in Beverly and Mt. Greenwood so I am enormously disgusted by this behavior. It really paints a sad and scary picture of this culture. To my family and friends along with loved ones buried at Mt. Hope- have faith and stand tall patriots!
Catherine Corbett
9:31 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
This has been going on for a long time...Something better get done soon before someone gets killed. They ride up on the sidewalks and hang out the car windows, yelling, driving on both sides of the street....THIS NEEDS TO END BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED
JB
12:58 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Mt Hopes excuse for having these funeral is for the sake of the mothers of the gang member, which she raised. So I fail to have sympathy as a reason to hold all these gang burials in Mt. Hope. It is just greed, more money in their pockets. At least the funeral director, admitted that if he knew what was going to happen, he would have refused to provide his service. At least someone is honest, it sure isn't Mt Hope. They know exactly what is happening and why is that the most popular cemetery for gang members?????